In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
Sekai No Owari first released Umbrella back in June, but have just now unveiled the song’s music video. I’m glad they decided to give it the extra promotional push. The track really deserves it. The combination of the band’s baroque pop sound and Fukase’s emotive vocals has always lent their work a great sense of … Continue reading
KEEMBO’s Scandalous emerged as a welcome surprise back in May, a rare Sweetune-penned pop track that proved the production team hadn’t lost their touch. Yet for me at least, Scandalous had far less staying power than I would have expected. I’ll partially attribute this to KEEMBO’s under-the-radar (ie: nonexistent) promotion keeping the track off my … Continue reading
Originally scheduled to coincide with Japan’s ill-fated hosting of the 2020 Summer Olympics, Kite (カイト) brings together J-pop’s biggest male idol group with current chart-topper Kenshi Yonezu, who composed the track. Though I doubt whether this single will be Arashi’s final song before hiatus, it certainly carries the necessary weight. Kite’s lyrics reflect upon how … Continue reading
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
As part of my “Summer of K-pop” feature, I recently wrote about Eric Nam’s 2014 single Ooh Ooh. In doing so, I was reminded how effectively that song harnessed his charms. He has a pleasant pop voice and amiable presence, well-suited to light, funky dance tracks. New single Paradise takes him down a more well-worn … Continue reading
With few exceptions, a title like “Nunu Nana” tells me exactly what to expect from the song. It’s unlikely to be the kind of melodically robust pop track I tend to gravitate toward. Its chorus will almost certainly be a repetitive jumble of nonsense words tied to a rhythmic beat drop. And in this regard, … Continue reading
I said I’d never do a podcast. I’ve turned down offers before, not out of some sense of inflated importance but because the very thought of it gave me anxiety. I’m much more comfortable behind the keyboard. But, it’s important to stretch outside your comfort zone, right? Well, Filmigirl from Idol Cast (a personal fave … Continue reading
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
Of all the tracks I would choose for promotion on WayV’s (very solid) album, Bad Alive would be pretty low on the totem pole. And, I certainly wouldn’t opt for a (mostly) English-language revamp. This isn’t meant to be a knock on the track itself. As a piece of music, it’s solid. But stacked against … Continue reading
April enjoyed a well-deserved breakthrough with this spring’s Lalalilala, which stands as their highest-charting title track yet. As a special thank you, the girls have released a short summer album, heralded by the buoyant Now Or Never. If it wasn’t already clear from my daily “Summer of K-pop” posts, I’ll always welcome a fun summer … Continue reading
Over the past two years, ATEEZ’s Treasure series grew into one of the most ambitious, consistent K-pop projects I can remember. And now that it’s finished, the question is: where do they go from here? Wisely, the guys have retained their core production team as they embark on another musical series – this one entitled … Continue reading
In celebration of The Bias List’s fifth year anniversary, I’ve embarked on my most ambitious project yet. After years of hemming and hawing, I’ve finally ranked what I consider to be the best 100 songs in K-pop. There will never be a definitive list of this nature, because it’s impossible to rank something that’s inherently … Continue reading
There are few things I enjoy more than a great summertime song. They’re bright, they’re exciting, and they remind me of my favorite time of the year. There’s no telling what this summer in K-pop will bring, but over the next few weeks I’ll be flashing back each day, showcasing a highlight from past summers. … Continue reading
I feel like every summer we get a few of these “rapper featuring vocalist” music videos that involve posing on fancy boats and cavorting among palm trees. I like to imagine all of these videos being filmed simultaneously, with hundreds of yacht-and-rapper combos sailing the same small body of water without bumping into each other. … Continue reading
Though her voice was a vital part of Sistar’s appeal, I’ve always felt that Soyou was underrated as a performer. It doesn’t help that most of her solo work has been relatively subdued, coasting more on mood than dynamic songwriting. New single Gotta Go (가라고) makes a drastic genre shift, challenging her with attitude-driven, percussive … Continue reading
Episode One Recap // Episode Two Recap // Episode Three Recap // Episode Four Recap Part One: A confusing prelude This episode opened with all sorts of disorientation. The global voting apparently starts now, and there are weird hardcoded English subtitles as well? This all seems kind of sudden and confusing to me. But, all … Continue reading
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 